The Avenging Angel
by The Wilky Bar Kid
Summary: Hermione Granger takes to the air in her F/A-27 Ravenclaw as the skies become the battleground for those seeking revenge.
1. Don't try and stop me!

"Don't try and stop me, Harry" said Hermione holding her flight helmet by the strap. She had hoped to avoid this and sneak off without Harry ever knowing but she had failed. Harry knew what she was going to do.

"I've already buried one friend this week" he spat at her angrily. "You're being selfish if you think you're the only one who is hurting over all of this. He was my friend too!"

"Ron was more than that to me" she said softly. "And you of all people know that this is something I must do." She turned away from him and started to climb the ladder up to the cockpit of her F/A-27 Ravenclaw, the production version of the experimental XFA-27. She was half way up the ladder when she turned to him and said " I will come back." She climbed the rest of the way up the ladder and clambered into her cockpit. Against his better judgement Harry Potter decided to assist his friend since childhood and walked over and unhooked the ladder away from her aircraft and took it over to the side of the hangar. She began her preflight checklist before finally putting on her helmet and hooking up her mask to the oxygen system. Strapped in and ready to go she signalled to Harry that she was starting her engines by rotating her left hand in a circular motion and he replied by giving her the thumbs up. One by one the four pulse detonation engines screached into life and blew hot blue exhaust through the rear. Hermione then signalled for the chocks to be removed from the landing gear and Harry acknowledged. As quickly as he could, tears running down his face, he removed each of the three sets of chocks from the aircraft before signalling that they were clear.

Hermione then lowered her canopy down and saluted her friend as it closed in on her, sealing her within the aircraft. Harry looked at her through the transparent canopy deep into her eyes that lay in the space between her mask and her helmet and wondered whether he would ever see them again. The enemy ace, Draco Malfoy, had killed fifteen pilots from the UPEO base at Hierlark since he had emerged like a ghost over North Osea almost a month ago including Ron Weasley. Draco was once a pilot with the UPEO but had deserted to join a terrorist group called the Death Eaters. From a secret loaction in the North Osean mountain range Draco had flown his YR-99 Forneus against the UPEO.

Harry stepped out of the hangar into the frosty morning air. He watched as Hermione taxied out towards the flightline ignoring the calls from the control tower ordering her to stop. As her aircraft made its way onto the runway she swept the variable geometry wings fully forward to achieve maximum lift. As base security raced in their patrol cars to intercept her they arrived too late as she throttled up and her F/A-27 roared as it began its take off run into the orange and purple early morning sky. Within just a few minutes her aircraft was just a dot on the horizon.

"Good luck Hermione" Harry uttered as he watched the F/A-27 disappear into the unfriendly sky.


	2. Flight of the Avenging Angel

Hermione wasn't making any effort to conceal herself as she flew high above the snow capped North Osean mountain range. Her transponder was beeping out her ID code so anyone scanning the IFF channels would know it was her. She was making it clear to all that she was looking for a fight and nobody had any doubts about who she was after. Sitting in the cockpit of her F/A-27 she couldn't help but feel remorse. It wasn't about what she was doing but rather it was more about why? How has the world come to this? Corporations are now more powerful than nations! Loyalties are traded through contracts and terrorism has become an extremely sophisticated and sometimes profittable business. And yet over it all the good still die young.

She snapped herself out of it. She was being careless. She knew she was entering a warzone where a mistake would cost her her own life and Ron's death would go unavenged. She focused on her mission at hand. She still had a good fuel reading and her aircraft was fully armed with twenty six MM-7 multi-role missiles and two Python QAAMs. These were going to be her ace cards against Draco. The QAAMs are designed specifically for dogfighting unlike the MM-7s which are a Jack of all trades but master of none.

She scanned with her radar for any air contacts but her scope was clear. She knew that didn't mean she was alone as Draco had proven a master of the surprise attack. Realising she was making a rookie mistake of flying straight and level she began a wide turn to the right before repeating the manouver to the left. It was as she began to roll out of her turn to the left that her alarm panel began to scream wildly. She had been fired upon! She slammed the control stick forward and put the plane into a sharp dive. As the nose dipped she could see the two missiles arching towards her from below. Pulling away from the white smoke trails was an aircraft - a YR-99. It was him! It was Draco! She opened the throttles all the way and the aircraft's wings swept back as it increased speed in the dive. The two missiles fired at her couldn't follow her through the manouver having been fired from such an awkward position and exploded harmlessly behind her.

"I knew you'd come!" Draco's voice snarled in Hermione's headset over the radio as she swung her aircraft towards the direction of his fleeing fighter. She had wanted him to know that it was her. That's why she left her transponder on even though it gave her position away. Hermione didn't say anything. She knew he wanted to play mind games with her and she wasn't going to let him. She was committed as only a wounded heart can be.

Draco's YR-99 suddenly pitched up and rolled over turning to face Hermione's F/A-27. With the two aircraft now screaming head on towards each other Hermione waited for her aircraft to lock up on Draco. When she heard the growl of the missile lock she unleashed two MM-7s that streaked away from her weapon bays and immediately pitched up as Draco fired his own two missiles at her. The two aircraft both pitched upwards and began climbing as both salvos of missiles failed to track the hard manouvering aircraft.

Hermione looked out and saw Draco's YR-99 just yards away from her both of them continuing to climb together as if part of an airshow. She knew she had to do this right because a mistake here could be fatal. She throttled back and applied left yaw. The nose tipped to the side towards Draco's still rapidly climbing aircraft as the F/A-27 began to fall behind Draco's YR-99. Draco had realised what she was doing and pulled back on his stick to pull away from the direction of her aircraft's nose. She tried to compensate with more left rudder and selected guns. Eagerly she squeezed the trigger sending a hail of gunfire towards Draco's fighter.

Draco's YR-99 shuddered slightly as three shells found their mark in his right wing but it was nothing serious and he just laughed it off as he turned in on Hermione once more. Once again the two aircraft passed nose to nose with missiles firing that again failed to find their mark. Draco rolled his aircraft onto its back and pulled back on the stick diving into the protective cover of the mountains. Hermione pulled up having decided to wait for him to make the next move rather than risk folowing him in. She climbed to over twenty thousand feet before turning over and pointing the nose back down towards the ground.

Infuriated that he was being made to fight on her terms and not his own Draco nevertheless followed her up. He could see her out in front of him turning down towards him. Suddenly his eyes opened in horror as two large white smoke trails burst out from her weapons bay. He knew they were QAAMs and that he would have to fight to keep them off him. His best bet was to try and make them run out of fuel by keep turning into them. He held his course for a while heading straight for them before pulling away at the last second. The QAAMs couldn't follow him through the manouver but had t he range to try again. And so it was that Draco found himself turning towards the missiles yet again. The first one passed over him and he pulled up hard as the second passed underneath. He knew he wasn't safe yet and turned towards them but as the nose of his aircraft came round he realised that he had forgotten to keep a look out on Hermione's plane. As his YR-99 turned, suddenly her F/A-27 appeared in front of him with only a few hundred yards of seperation between them. The last thing Draco Malfoy ever saw were the muzzle flashes Hermione's guns ripping holes all along hs fuselage igniting the fuel. His once vaunted YR-99 exploded in a brilliant ball of flame sending shards of debris raining down onto the snow capped mountains. The two QAAMs continued to track the debris and exploded near the two largest chunks of Draco's fighter.

As the debris burned on the hillside a solitary F/A-27 Ravenclaw circled victoriously overhead.


	3. Dark Room Dealings

**Azkaban Prison, Belka  
One month later**

Located on a wind swept island off the cost of Belka is Azkaban prison operated by General Resource Ltd one of the most powerful of the corporatocracies that now rule over much of the planet. Here is where the most dangerous of criminals within General Resource's territories are kept. It is a bleak, cold and desolate place and is enough to drive even the most hardened criminal mad. Lucius Malfoy looked out at the high prison walls from his executive helicopter as it thundered over them before coming in to land on the helipad above the main building. With his aide holding the helicopter door open for him Malfoy climbed out and strode across to the doorway adjacent to the landing pad.

Once inside he was met by the Azkaban's Chief Warden Igor Karkaroff known to the inmates as 'The Dementor' in reflection of his often harsh treatment of those unfortunate enough to be sentenced to the God forsaken place. Neither man spoke to the other. Their distaste for each other was no secret to the General Resource Board of Directors so it would have surprised many to see them in the same room voluntarily. Malfoy reached in to his jacket and produced a brown envelope that bulged in the middle. Karkaroff almost snatched the envelope away as if he hated himself for accepting it. The left corner of Lucius's lips curled slightly as he silently told himself that every man has his price.

Karkaroff lead Malfoy through the prison to a room that had been prepared for him. As the door opened Malfoy looked in to make sure that the person inside was indeed whom he was expecting and when he saw that it was he turned to Karkaroff and said, "Leave us!" Karkaroff didn't like being told what to do in his own prison but nevertheless he left Malfoy and the prisoner alone. Malfoy closed the door in order to have total privacy with the prisoner who sat grinning slyly back at him. The prisoner wore grey coveralls and was quite well presented except for a white bandage on the back of his neck.

"Lucius Malfoy," jeered the prisoner. "Well...This is quite an honour!"

"Bartemius Crouch," acknowledged Malfoy. "You look like your father in his youth." Crouch winced angrily at the mention of his father for he had been one of the ones who had made sure that Crouch junior was sentenced to nowhere else but Azkaban for his crimes. "Shame...About his death I mean."

"He was just lucky that I wasn't the one who killed him or his death would have been much slower and more painful!" spat Crouch angrily.

"Touching sentiment," whined Malfoy as he sat down on the chair opposite Crouch. "I've come to offer you a business proposition. If you agree I can guarantee your immediate release."

"Hmm!" murmered Crouch as his eyes widened in an amused fashion. "You have my attention."

"I need you to kill someone...And I need it done in such a way that won't be traced back to me. Are you aware that my son is dead?" Malfoy's voice was cold and betrayed no emotion.

"Yes," replied Crouch. "I read about it in the newspaper. Run off to join some terrorist group didn't he? Want to make a name for himself."

"Terrorism is a matter of perspective," interjected Malfoy not liking the use of the word related to his deceased son.

"The word is the UPEO mounted some operation to attempt to apprehend him but were forced to kill him," said Crouch.

"That is a lie!" roared Malfoy suddenly enraged as he began to rise off his chair. He calmed himself before explaining, "The pilot who killed my son acted without authorisation. And then the UPEO covered up her actions stating that it was a premeditated operation. No charges have been brought forward as a result. I want you to shoot her down."

"I see and who is this murderous angel?" asked Crouch positively delighted at the prospect of having the 'great' Lucius Malfoy need his abilities.

"Her name is Hermione Granger," explained Malfoy as though her very name were venom on his tongue. "She is one of the best the UPEO has and that's why I need you. I know all about Doctor Pomfreys' experiment to produce a neural interface controlled fighter. COFFIN I believe she called it? COnnection For Flight INterface. During testing the system proved unbeatable. I am also aware of the unfortunate side effects that it produced. Hence your incarceration. If she were to be murdered then an investigation would inevitably lead back to me. But if she were killed in the line of her duties with the Universal _Peace _Enforcement Organisation then it would be seen as little more than an occupational hazard. I have used my influence to quietly acquire you a suitable aircraft. All I need is you."

The prospect of freedom was definitely one thing but the near psychotic Crouch, one of the side effects of the COFFIN device implanted into his brain, relished in the fact that he had the rich and powerful Malfoy almost begging him for his help. Enjoying watching Malfoy squirm would have been payment enough but with his added freedom he found he could not resist seeing how this would play out and so the two men shook hands in agreement.


	4. The Reminder

**North Osea**

The two F/A-27 Ravenclaws burst through the cloud base and up in to the marble blue sky, their pulse detonation engines roaring loudly with the throttles open for everything they were worth. Hermione kept her position tightly behind her flight lead, 1st Lieutenant Neville Longbottom, who was now her superior officer. Although a reasonably competent pilot he was considered to be one of the weakest at Hierlark. Hermione on the other hand was a superb pilot whom flying had come as easy as breathing.

Passing through thirty five thousand feet Longbottom inverted his aircraft and pulled back on the stick before righting the aircraft to settle in at thirty five and a half thousand feet. Hermione followed him through the maneuver so finely that it was as though their two aircraft were physically linked together. Hermione was still struggling to adjust to having Longbottom as her flight lead since just over a month ago it was the other way round. Although the UPEO had covered up her unauthorised action she did not go unpunished. She had been stripped of rank and had lost qualification as a flight leader. It was the only way that Colonel Black would allow her to remain on his squadron - the famous 'Wizards'. The name 'Wizard' was inherited from a notorious Osean Air Force unit that had fought during the Belkan War before defecting to the terrorist organisation _A World With No Boundaries_. They were defeated by the near mythical 'Demon Lord' but were resurrected when the New United Nations founded the Universal Peace Enforcement Organisation or UPEO to police the growing number of corporatocracies and terrorist movements that were springing up across the globe.

Hermione settled in for yet another routine patrol along the coast. Sitting in her cockpit she looked out of the bulbous canopy that offered excellent visibility when in close quarters combat with another aircraft. With Longbottom leading this patrol there was little for her to do except monitor her own systems and sensors but before long the tedium of doing this so many times began to sink in and her mind wandered. Since Ron's death her enthusiasm for her job had diminished. There was once a time when she would relish the opportunity to take a combat aircraft and soar in to the heavens to greet the sun every morning but now its passion had died when Ron's aircraft was shot out of the sky.

As she looked across to the east to see the sun rising up over the horizon a voice from her past echoed in her mind...

* * *

**Three Years Earlier**

"I will never get tired of that view," said Ron Weasley in the front cockpit of the two seat F-16XA Sakerfalcon, an extreme development of the F-16 based on the experimental F-16XL. Hermione, sitting in the instructor's seat located behind Ron's, smiled slyly under her oxygen mask at the innocence in Ron's voice. _How could anyone ever tire of it? _she thought to herself secretly.

"Ok Lieutenant that's enough of the sight seeing!" said Hermione over the intercom. "This is a training flight and it's best you concentrate. Don't forget I am grading your performance throughout the flight."

"Of course..._Sir!" _replied Weasley in a mocking tone. Although Ron had teased her about her recent promotion to section leader he never challenged her authority. He had too much respect for her than that. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger had gone through their UPEO training together at the Academy in North Point and as such had developed a close friendship. Secretly, both of them believed that there might be something more to it than that but both were afraid to admit it. For Hermione, she had tried to hide her feelings behind her professional doctrine but as she sat in the rear cockpit looking forward at the back of Ron's helmet she wondered what thoughts were going through his head right now. Were they the same as hers perhaps? "So, shall I proceed to the range then?"

"At your discretion if you please," replied Hermione. Suddenly Hermione felt her body thrown to the side as Ron deliberately threw the F-16XA into a high speed half roll before pulling back on the stick. The F-16XA responded by pointing it's nose towards the ground and began a rapid descent reminiscent of a home sick anvil. After dropping to below five thousand feet Ron pulled the nose up sharply as the aircraft thundered into the snow capped North Osean mountain range. Hermione felt the G-forces pushing up against her body as the mountains began to pass on either side of the aircraft at high speed.

Keeping the speed up Ron rolled to the left and kept the aircraft hugging the terrain as tightly as he could without too much risk to themselves. The enormous wing of the F-16XA buffeted in the thick turbulent air blowing across the mountains and made for an uncomfortable ride. Continuing onward, a mountain appeared in front of them and Ron eased the stick back to raise the nose. The mountain passed underneath them to reveal a deep valley below and he rolled the aircraft yet again and dived deep in to the valley before levelling off. As the aircraft violently cut through the air a pair of long white vortices streamed from the wingtips drawing white lines in the sky.

Ron was in his element flying the aircraft. Although she had noted one or two sloppy mistakes throughout the flight she didn't have the heart to emphasise them. She knew this was unfair since if it was anyone else she probably would have but she just couldn't bring herself to cut him down like that. It was a painful truth that her feelings for him were tainting her professionalism. _He must be something special...

* * *

_**Present Day**

"He was something special!" she murmured to herself as she brought her thoughts back to the present. "He really was." Peering through the canopy once more she settled on the unfortunate truth that the view that she thought she could never tire of now only served as a reminder for what she had lost.


	5. Getting Started

**Jilachi Desert**  
**Yuktobania**

The old airstrip had been originally built during the Belkan War as a forward operating base for the allies. It was quite an impressive base that at the height of operations during that brutal war housed close to a hundred aircraft dispersed along the apron that was in fact a dried up lake bed. Today it only houses a few abandoned hangars scattered here and there that have been left neglected over time. The only things taking off from here these days were Vultures.

This of course was on the surface of things for underneath the base there housed an immense subterranean structure. The structure was itself a remnant of the Belkan War being used to house nuclear weapons for a last ditch defence. When the war ended the facility was closed along with the air base and it has remained so ever since and known only to a few who stumble upon the record of it kept in General Resource Ltd's records office. Lucius Malfoy was one such person who discovered this base's secret and he would be the last for he had the records destroyed and with no one possessing a living memory of it then he was sure it was a safe location to prepare for his plan to kill Hermione Granger of the UPEO.

To help prevent UPEO stumbling upon the activity of the base Malfoy had made it a rule that no activity on the base was to be conducted above the surface at set times for it was during these times that the UPEO's spy satellites would pass overhead. It was for this reason that the private helicopter carrying Malfoy and Crouch was at the moment heading south and away from the base. They would have to wait another three minutes before they could turn back towards it and land there. Malfoy instructed the pilot to add another two minutes onto the time just to be sure before they swung around and headed for the base.

The helicopter touched down in a cloud of dust and sand kicked up by its rotors and both Malfoy and Crouch held their sunglasses close to their faces so as not to get dust in their eyes as they walked away. No sooner had they left the helicopter then it lifted up into the air and began to head south once more. It was after all on a scheduled flight and was expected at Grunovic airport.

Crouch followed Malfoy across the base as the thudding of the helicopter's rotors hitting the air disappeared into the distance. They stepped inside hangar number three and suddenly Malfoy came to a stop in the middle of the vast space. Crouch was about to ask what was going on when suddenly the floor trembled. Startled, he looked down at his feet half expecting to be swallowed up by some underground monster. He was half correct. The floor began to descend into a deep chasm. A series of electric lights signaled how many equivalent floors underground they had descended, fourteen in all until it finally stopped. Malfoy remained calm and cool throughout the whole descent having experienced it before and thus knew what to expect.

Crouch found himself still facing a wall. It wasn't until he turned around that he was confronted by a long chamber with wide walls and a high roof. It was easily big enough for a C-230 Hercules II transport aircraft to fit into. The chamber went on for about five hundred yards where there was the unmistakable sight of an SU-47 Berkut with its sleek forward sweeping wings, canards and angled vertical fins. This was one was different to the relatively few others of its brethren that had been produced. Its cockpit was completely covered over with a metal shell and there were small 'eye' shaped devices scabbed to the fuselage that each housed fiber optic cameras. Crouch knew right away that this aircraft had been configured for COFFIN control.

A door to the side of where the aircraft sat opened and a young woman with jet black hair appeared and began to walk towards them. Crouch recognized her immediately.

"Dr Chang!" he snarled with a cruel smile. "I would say it's good to see you again but…"

Dr Cho Chang had worked on the original COFFIN program that had been theorized by Dr Pomfrey. She later testified at Crouch's trail and her testimony that the COFFIN implants had turned him mentally unstable insured his incarceration into Azkaban prison.

"Dr Chang has kindly agreed to assist us on this project," explained Malfoy. "That and the fact that I am currently funding her research into Biomechanical flight control systems."

Dr Chang didn't look at all comfortable around the two men. She despised both of them but her work had reached a funding block and this was the only way she could continue. If she was successful then she could develop pilotless aircraft that were every bit as capable as their manned counterparts, something that had eluded engineers for almost eighty years. The result would be that pilots would no longer have to die in combat. Even though by making this deal she knew that there were going to be deaths she concluded that the long term goal would be worth the sacrifice no matter how distasteful it might seem to be.

Crouch walked upto her until he was within inches of her face and she could feel his warm breath tickling against her cheek. She could feel her body tensing up and she cringed at having him so close to her.

"Well then," he said smiling grotesquely. "Shall we begin?"


	6. Duty Calls

**North Osea**

"Mayday! Mayday! Is anyone out there? This is Buckbeak Two-Seven, a UPEO transport aircraft. Can anyone respond?"

In the blink of an eye the boredom of a routine patrol for 2nd Lieutenant Hermione Granger had disappeared in a burst of startled adrenalin. She instinctively reached for the radio controls before realizing that she was not the flight lead anymore and it was up to Neville to respond. It seemed he had forgotten about this change of position as well since it was several seconds before he replied.

"Uh...Buckbeak this is Wizard Six, what is the nature of your mayday?" asked Longbottom in a tone that could hardly be described as confident.

"Wizard Six; we have sustained damage to our number two engine. We don't know what has caused it. Our navigation systems are shot to hell from shrapnell when it exploded. We need someone to guide us to an emergency runway."

Hermione switched her radio to long range mode and saw the damaged transport aircraft at the very edge of her detection range. She knew it wasn't proper protocol but given the seriousness of the situation Hermione interrupted Neville and said much more firmly over the radio, "Buckbeak Two-Seven this is Wizard Three, the nearest airbase is Hierlark. I have you on my scope. Just sit tight, we're on our way."

"Roger that Wizard Three," said the pilot of the transport plane who was breathing a sigh of relief.

Neville was slightly annoyed by Hermione but at the same time slightly relieved. He knew that she was an outstanding leader and was better than he could ever hope to be, it was something he had accepted a long time ago and so although he outranked her he said over the radio, "Let's make our way over there Wizard Three. YOU have the lead!"

Neville's tone indicated to Hermione that he accepted her superior command skills and that given that this was an actual emergency they would be better off with her in command. With that Hermione threw her Ravenclaw into a barrel roll to acknowledge and thank him before she pulled away and turned towards the stricken transport plane with Neville now trailing her.

Hermione started climbing above the altitude of the transport, a C-5X Galaxy, to allow it to pass underneath. Her intention was to then roll in behind it and escort it to Hierlark but it was as she was climbing with Neville just behind her that her Ravenclaw detected three additional aircraft approaching from the east.

"Wizard Six this is Wizard Three," she called out on the radio to Neville. "I have an additional three contacts bearing zero-nine-zero. They aren't transmitting transponder codes. You guide Buckbeak Two-Seven to Hierlark while I check them out."

"Roger," replied Neville who pulled out of formation and began banking towards the C-5X.

Hermione levelled her aircraft out at twenty thousand feet and turned the nose towards the incoming aircraft. As she closed in on the formation her radar picture became clearer and she saw that the two leading aircraft were fighter sized but the trailing aircraft was a little bigger and was probably some kind of medium sized cargo aircraft. Suddenly a thought flashed into her head. Her mind cast back to a report the squadron had received regarding air pirates who were planting bombs on aircraft to cause them to crash in the mountains and then they would fly in and salvage the cargo. It had been met with mixed success in the past. At least once the bomb obliterated the aircraft and its cargo. Perhaps this time they used a smaller explosive to prevent that from happening but it proved too small to bring it down completely.

She was about to report her theory to Neville when her warning panel lit up. She was being targetted by the two hostile aircraft. Suddenly her HUD information was illuminated red as it warned that she had been fired upon. Given the range at which the two fighters had both dispatched a missile at her they were probably using long range AAMs which had the range but not the mobility of the smaller and shorter ranged weapons that were the norm for fighters these days.

"Wizard Six!" she shrieked over the radio to Neville. "I have been fired upon by hostile aircraft."

"I'm coming to help!" called out Nevlle.

"Negative!" protested Hermione. "Just protect the transport plane."

Hermione opened the throttle of her F/A-27 and the pulse detonation engines surged the aircraft forwards as its wings swept back to improve aerodynamic efficiency. She kept her aircraft level with the oncoming missiles. She knew she could try and out turn them now but the further away they were the easier it would be for them to follow her through her defensive maneuvers. No, she knew better than that.

With the missiles racing towards her and her F/A-27 Ravenclaw picking up speed it was not long before the missiles appeared as two small white dots on the horizon. Although her instincts were telling her to turn away she kept her cool as she held the controls firm and counted down. "3...2...1. Now!" She yanked the control stick back and the F/A-27's nose suddenly vaulted into the air so quickly that the forward momentum of the aircraft that Hermione had attained caused it to slide through the air momentarily before it began climbing. The two missiles arched upwards trying to follow the manouver but to no avail. They lost their track on her Ravenclaw and started to harmlessly climb upwards towards infinity.

Rolling her aircaft over she looked upwards at the ground below and saw the shape of a MiG-33 Fulcrum-S and a Rafale turning up towards her. These were common pirate aircraft since they were readily available to paramilitary organizations. Hermione aggresively turned the nose of the aircraft back down towards them while keeping the throttle open. She was now darting down towards them, the stunned enemy pilots squeezing off a few cannon shells in the vain hope of damaging her aircraft. The two enemy planes pulled sharply away from one another as Hermione bolted between them.

Once she had passed by them she pulled the throttles all the way back. The Ravenclaw responded by sweeping its wings forward and opening its airbrake. Although she was still falling her aircraft was now producing immense drag and this was slowing the descent. She turned the nose away from the ground and once again the aircraft began to slide through the air as she pointed it towards the MiG-33 that was coming off the top of a loop. Her fingers worked the control switches and she selected one of her two QAAMs. She quickly acquired her target and squeezed the trigger. The port weapon bay doors flung open and the large missile burst outwards. Once it was clear of her F/A-27 she applied full throttle and dipped the nose into a shallow dive in order to pick up more speed in order to prevent a full-on stall and then engage the Rafale.

The MiG-33 pilot had seen the missile being launched at him but it was too late for him to do anything significant about it. The old Fulcrum had lost too much energy in the climb and couldn't escape the agile weapon in time. It hit his aircraft just behind the cockpit causing it to explode in a ball of flame before the wreckage began spiralling downwards. It crashed on the snow capped mountains below.

The Rafale pilot was now turning towards Hermione's aircraft and was on her five o'clock position when he realized he had a good shot. She was still turning towards him and that was a good window of opportunity for his short range missiles since it reduced her ability to evade them. He waited as her F/A-27 entered the targeting ring on his HUD and the tone sounded in his headset that he was locked. He squeezed off two missiles that went racing through the air leaving two long white streaks through the sky. With his eyes fixed on the target he watched as Hermione rolled inverted and pulled back causing her aircraft to once again begn descending rapidly. The two missiles began to follow her through the manouver and started chasing her down towards the ground. Less than five thousand feet from the top of the closest mountain peak she pulled back on the stick and looked over her shoulder to watch as the two missiles over shot.

The Rafale pilot had followed her down and was once again out in front of her as they surged towards one another. The Rafale pilot was clearly losing his nerve against her and tracers from his guns spewed down towards her as he yawed from side to side hoping to hit her with his guns. Hermione kept her cool. She yawed to the right just enough to keep her out of his gunfre but not so much to lose him. As the distance closed to the point where he could read the UPEO letters on her fuselage she banked hard to the left and squeezed the trigger for her guns. A three second burst of gunfire ripped holes into his fuselage. Not one of the bullets missed its target. The Rafale's fuel cells ignited and the plane exploded. Hermione's plane continued to climb as the Rafale crashed to the ground. That just left the third aircraft.

"Don't shoot!" pleaded a voice over the radio. "I surrender!" Hermione looked over to the right and saw the third aircraft, a stolen CV-22M Osprey tilt-rotor, flying straight and level. "I repeat, I surrender."

"Attention pirate aircraft, this is Wizard Three. You will accompany me to Hierlark air base where you will be taken into custody. If you attempt to escape you will be shot down. Do you understand?"

"I-I understand," said the terrified voice who clearly had no intention of disagreeing.

"You could have left some for us," joked a familiar voice over the radio. Four F/A-27s from Wizard squadron passed overhead in a tight formation lead by Captain Harry Potter. "Good job Wizard Three, we'll take it from here."

Harry Potter looked out at Hermione's Ravenclaw as it flew alone in an increasingly orange sky now that the sun was dropping below the horizon. For Harry, Hermione's solitary F/A-27 was a reminder of the fact that Ron was no longer with them. When he was alive their two aircraft seldom parted company. As Hermione's F/A-27 passed in front of the sun it appeared to turn black before his very eyes before it tilted onto its side and pulled away.


	7. Heroes and Villains

**Jilachi Desert**  
**Yuktobania**

Cho Chang awoke early that morning – if that was an accurate description of the cessation of her natural rest period. She hadn't slept at all during the night knowing that Barty Crouch was nearby. Everytime she closed her eyes his face would appear to her complete with his devilish almost demented smile. It was a smile that seemed to intertwine with her skin causing it to feel unclean and making her want to tear it from her body in an effort to purify herself.

Her room at the secret base requisitioned by Lucius Malfoy for the purpose of getting his revenge over the UPEO's foremost fighter pilot, Hermione Granger, was a small affair resembling something you might expect to find on a submarine. There were no windows being deep underground and when the light switch was flicked to OFF the room was immersed into perpetual darkness. She simply had a bed, a sink, a mirror and a few bookshelves filled with medical journals regarding cybernetics and the human brain. Among them were those published by her late mentor Dr Pomfrey who first formulated the COFFIN control system back when Cho worked as her assistant at the Beuxbatons Academy of Medical Science.

In the dim artificial light she leaned over her small sink and stared into the dirty mirror just above it. She began to wonder just who the person staring back at her was now that she had made a deal with that devil, Malfoy. She didn't feel like herself anymore. In her own way she tried to justify what she was doing by reminding herself that her work in UCAV technology would actually save lives and that Malfoy's money and connections would allow her to achieve her dream but at what cost does one agree to when selling a soul regardless of how noble the cause?

She washed her tired face before getting dressed. It was only then did she dare step outside her room. Her footsteps echoed through the empty corridors that lead to the hangar where the SU-47 Berkut was being kept as if each one was a voice shouting insults at her but what they mostly said was 'murderer'.

The SU-47 sat in the underground hangar with its long forward sweeping wings pointing ahead as if it were an Eagle desperate to take flight. She had worked on this aircraft under Pomfrey back at Beauxbatons when the project first began. Back then it wore a striking blue and velvet colour scheme. That had now gone replaced by a somewhat anonymous looking emerald green scheme. As per Crouch's request the tail was emblazoned with a skull protruding from the mouth of which was a long menacing snake. This was the emblem of the Dark Lord, a famous Yuktobanian fighter pilot who fought during the Cumo-Pacific War and modelled himself on the earlier Demon Lord of Belkan War fame.

Cho walked up to the aircraft and reached out to touch it with her bare hand. The metal was cold not having any sunlight to warm it but it felt smooth and firm. Despite being several years old now this particular aircraft had relatively low flight hours on it thanks to its use as a test aircraft.

"Magnificent isn't it?" asked a voice whose tone seemed to slither from the mouth that produced them.

Cho's heart seemed to leap into her mouth as she found Crouch standing behind her.

"Good morning," she murmured trying to maintain the pleasantries as if it would somehow shield her from him.

"Good morning," he replied. "Sleep well?" She only nodded in reply feeling like a trapped animal as she did so. "Good. Is everything ready for testing?"

"Yes," she said. "If you just want to climb in while I hook up my computer."

Crouch smiled in acknowledgement knowing how he much it unsettled her, something he took a perverse pleasure out of.

It took a few minutes for Cho to start up the COFFIN programme on her computer it being such a complex formula. Once it was up and running she hardwired it to the COFFIN system in the SU-47 the two computers started 'talking' to one another sending data back and fore as both became accustomed to being linked to the other.

Crouch climbed up the ladder mounted on the side of the SU-47 before stepping inside the cockpit that retained manual flight controls as a back up to the COFFIN system. Perched on top of the ejection seat was an unusual looking helmet with two thick wires protruding from the sides and running back into the aircraft. Once he was inside Crouch placed the helmet on his head and yelled, "Ready!"

Using her computer Cho switched the control setting of the SU-47 from manual to COFFIN. A green lightning bolt-shaped symbol indicated the system was online and receiving data from Crouch's helmet.

The controls for the COFFIN system were activated by sensors inside the helmet that monitored Crouch's brain activity. The sensors operated on the same frequency as his brainwaves and this allowed him to manipulate the controls of the aircraft as well as receive information from the sensors located around the fuselage. It was this brain manipulation that produced the unfortunate side effect of mental instability in anyone who used it. Another drawback, albeit not as serious, was that each COFFIN system had to be tuned into a specific pilot. Cho had already done this but now had to confirm it.

In his mind Crouch could now feel the aircraft as though it were somehow part of his own body. His brain sent signals to move his arms and legs but instead the control surfaces of the SU-47 began to flap and move. It took him several minutes of this flapping action to get accustomed with the aircraft and thus they could begin their tests.

They were one step closer to helping Malfoy get his revenge.

* * *

**HIERLARK AIR BASE  
NORTH OSEA**

The F/A-27 Ravenclaw swooped low over the runway, its wheels extended downwards reaching for the tarmac. As the rubber made contact there was a loud screeching sound followed by a plume of blue smoke. The landing had been textbook but then again you could expect nothing less from Hermione Granger of the UPEO.

Having landed, Hermione's aircraft was marshalled off to the parking area alongside the main hangar where a team of ground crew were waiting to begin their work. Standing firmly infront of the aircraft as it slowly edged forward was Colonel Sirius Black.

Sirius Black was a legend in the UPEO. A rookie pilot for Osea during the Cumo-Pacific War he was one of the first UPEO pilots fighting in those turbulent days when the power of companies such as General Resource Ltd and Neucom Inc started to rival that of world governments.

To all the young pilots of the Wizard Squadron he was something of a father figure but none more so than to 1st Lieutenant Harry Potter and Captain Hermione Granger. However he took Hermione's 'betrayal' particularly hard. She had wilfully taken a Ravenclaw without permission on an unauthorized mission of revenge. Although she came back alive he couldn't let the act go unpunished and she knew she had to earn back his prior affection. Her actions during the attempted hijacking of an airliner three days earlier had gone a great way towards achieving that goal but there was still a long way to go yet.

He watched her climb out of her Ravenclaw before chatting with the groundcrew regarding any issues that might have come up with the aircraft during a thankfully unexciting patrol. Once this was done she approached the Colonel who stood tall with his arms folded never once taking his gaze from her.

Standing a few feet away from him she removed her helmet and held it by its strap by her side before looking up at him. He stared into her big round eyes, a small strand of her bushy hair having fallen just in front of her left eye after her helmet was removed. He still saw the emptiness in her eyes from the loss of Ron Weasley.

"Anything to report_, Lieutenant_?" he seemed to snarl.

"Nothing Colonel," replied Hermione. "It's all quiet out there."

"I wish I could say the same for this place," he uttered cryptically. "Follow me!"

Hermione did as she was instructed and found herself walking with Black across the flightline towards the cafeteria, a thin layer of fresh snow crunching beneath her feet as they went.

"What's going on, sir?" she asked him when they were half way to the cafeteria.

"A member of the press corps has been granted an interview with the 'Hero of Hierlark'."

"Sir?"

"You, Lieutenant!" barked Black clearly in a rather bad mood. "Your rescue of that transport aircraft and the capture of the pirates is a rather rare commodity for the UPEO these days; something positive in the press. It seems General Scrimgeour would like to milk it for all its worth."

"Who can blame him," said Hermione almost absent-mindedly. "General Fudge certainly screwed up our image for us during his tenure."

Black's hand swept outwards and landed on her stomach stopping her in her tracks. He turned to face her and said," Keep opinions like that to yourself. Also, don't mention anything about your little mission of vengeance. Remember; the only reason you're not in a cell is because Scrimgeour decided it would be better to publicise it as an actual UPEO mission than a rogue pilot. Understood?"

"Perfectly sir," she replied.

"It had better be. For your sake."

* * *

Hermione felt a little awkward as she sat in front of the camera that was facing her. The young man who had come to interview her had set up his camera to take pictures of her and was ready to proceed when he received a phonecall. For the next ten minutes she just sat there as she heard the man's rather nervous voice constantly say "Yes Miss Skeeter…No Miss Skeeter….Of course not Miss Skeeter…Right away Miss Skeeter."

Finally the call ended and the young man placed his phone back in his pocket.

"I'm sorry about that," he explained with a rather bright eyed smile on his face. "My editor likes to keep me in check."

"I understand," said Hermione who glanced over at Colonel Black who stood in the background keeping a close eye on the proceedings.

"I'm Colin Creevey," said the young man holding a hand out for her to shake it which she uncomfortably accepted. "I'm with the Daily Ustio Prophet. Can I call you Hermione or should I address you by rank?"

"Hermione is fine."

"Thank you. I'm never sure how to behave around the military." Colin sat down in front of her and took out a small notepad and pen. "So, Hermione, how does it feel to be a hero?"

Hermione was totally caught off guard by the question. "I-I don't know."

"Do you consider yourself a hero?"

"Not really," she stumbled.

"So you'd consider it your duty? Just doing your job?"

"Yes," she replied blankly. Colin was clearly hoping for more.

"Is that it?"

"What do you mean?" she asked back.

"Well is that the opinion of everyone in the UPEO? Its just a job? Isn't there any passion in your work?"

"We are passionate about our work. We are the world's Police force." Her tone was hardly convincing and everyone knew it. Even though Black was watching she decided she was just going to come out and say what she was feeling on the topic of the UPEO's passion regarding their work. "The truth is, Mr Creevey-"

"Colin, please."

"Colin; the truth is we are genuinely passionate about our work. We have to be because we risk our lives on a daily basis to enforce world law. To that end we are fighting a war, a war that has no sign of ever ending. And like all wars there are…" She felt an enormous lump form in her throat that she couldn't shift leading to a rather long pause appearing in the conversation. Her mind's eye was looking at the face of Ron once more.

"Yes?" asked Creevey.

"Casualties, Colin, there are casualties. They are the heroes. The ones who have given their lives for the peace you enjoy. For those of us who survive its upto us to keep hold of their memories and continue their work by bringing those who have wronged to justice."

She looked at Black expecting a response. She was surprised to find there wasn't one.


End file.
